In automotive power seats, fractional horsepower DC electric motors are utilized to achieve seat position adjustment in vehicle interiors. Typically, four degrees of seat adjustment are provided, namely (1) forward-aft seat position, (2) vertical height of the forward portion of the sear bench, (3) vertical height of the rearward portion of the seat bench, and (4) angular position (i.e., tilt) of the seat back.
A known seat switch design utilizes two knobs which control four switch actuators in the switch assembly. The knobs are formed in the general shape of a seat back and a seat bench for ease of use in operating the switch. The seat back shaped knob controls one switch actuator and the seat bench shaped knob controls three switch actuators for the desired four degrees of adjustment.
The seat switch has a subassembly of conductive strips or bus bars which are selectively interconnected by the switch actuators to provide power to the respective positioning motors. The buses are connected to a wire assembly having a terminal which connects to a wire harness in the vehicle to interconnect the seat switch to the positioning motors. The subassembly of buses has heretofore been fabricated of layers of conductors separated by insulating sheets mounted together within the switch housing prior to assembly of the switch actuators. The multilayer construction and fabrication of the buses and separating sheets required a large size switch housing. It is desirable to reduce the size of the switch housing, particularly the thickness of the switch assembly as such switches are often mounted in a door panel. Partly due to the size of the switch assembly, attachment of the switch assembly to the vehicle was accomplished by fasteners such as screws. Accordingly, it would be desirable to achieve secure fastenerless attachment to a vehicle in a manner which facilitates vehicle assembly.
Seat switches commonly utilize a slide-type switch actuator wherein the contactor actuator is mounted to slide along a rail member. The contactor actuator and rail member are secured in place within the switch housing by the housing cover so that the switch actuators are not operable for testing prior to connection of the housing cover. Such an assembly sequence requires constant reliability checks due to mispositioned contactors, housing and cover warpage and assembly error due to "blind" assembly on the assembly line. These problems can cause intermittent circuits, high millivolts and binding knob controls. Thus, it would be desirable to facilitate assembly and assure proper positioning and securement of the switch actuators prior to mounting the housing cover to allow initial testing and visual inspection thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved seat switch assembly of significantly reduced profile which overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings.
A further object of the invention is to provide a seat switch assembly which facilitates manufacture and installation with enhanced reliability of operation.
A further object of the invention is to provide a seat switch assembly which achieves fastenerless mounting to a vehicle.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an automotive switch of the slide actuator type which facilitates manufacture and enhances reliability.
A further object of the invention is to provide an automotive switch which affords outline design illumination of the switch.
Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.
Accordingly, it has been found that the foregoing and related objects are attained and the disadvantages of the prior art are overcome in a seat switch assembly with a housing comprising a front cover, a middle switch plate and a back cover. The switch plate is an insert molded unitary switch plate with a plurality of electrical buses molded therein and an upper support surface with a plurality of contact surfaces. A plurality of switch actuator assemblies are mounted on the support surface. Each switch actuator assembly has a contactor for electrically contacting a respective contact surface, a contactor actuator slidably mounted to a rail member for sliding movement to actuator the contactor and a pair of space support posts extending from the support surface. The rail member and snap lock engagement to secure the rail member to the support posts. The front cover is mounted to the switch plate to enclose the switch actuator assemblies. Switch knobs connected to the contactor actuators are mounted at the exterior wall of the front cover. The exterior wall has a translucent section which defines an outline design such as the outline of an automobile seat about the knobs. An optical fiber is configured in the form of the outline design and is mounted within the switch housing adjacent the translucent section. The opposite ends of the optical fiber terminate at a light source within the switch housing to illuminate the optical fiber and thus the outline design about the knobs. The housing includes fastenerless snap lock mounting tabs for snap lock mounting to a support structure within the vehicle interior.